Fishermen barred from taking herring

DURHAM - Commercial fishermen are barred from taking Atlantic herring in the coastal waters from Cape Cod to the Maine/Canadian border as of Tuesday, the state Fish and Game Department announced Friday.

The closure, effective 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 15 through midnight on Dec. 31, was ordered because herring harvesters are projected to reach 92 percent of the allowable harvest quota for the period. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission calls for closing the herring fishery when that level is reached, according to Fish and Game.Landing restrictions for Atlantic herring in 2014 will be established later, after a meeting of the ASMFC's Atlantic Herring Section, Fish and Game said. ASMFC coordinates conservation and management of the 15 Atlantic coast states' shared near-shore fishery resources. Fish and Game is the guardian of the state's marine, fish and wildlife resources and habitat.